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<title>I awake 누가 날 컨트롤 할 수 없어 난 master 나의 master by BarryandCisco_FlashVibe</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29821053">I awake 누가 날 컨트롤 할 수 없어 난 master 나의 master</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarryandCisco_FlashVibe/pseuds/BarryandCisco_FlashVibe'>BarryandCisco_FlashVibe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>기억을 잃은 걸까 우리 둘이 과거 혹은 미래에 다른 세계에서 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ONF (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, M/M, Memory Loss, Science Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:54:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,193</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29821053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarryandCisco_FlashVibe/pseuds/BarryandCisco_FlashVibe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel to my story Runner. But focus is some time (not specified) before the start of that story, and focusing on the ONF boys. Inspired by their MVs up til now (Beautiful Beautiful).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>기억을 잃은 걸까 우리 둘이 과거 혹은 미래에 다른 세계에서 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangtanLuv9394/gifts">BangtanLuv9394</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The first chapter is from Laun's POV.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Laun came to awareness abruptly, sitting straight up and blinking rapidly due to the bright whiteness of the room he found himself in. He swung his head around, taking in a room he could almost swear he’d never seen before, but somehow it felt very familiar. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood slowly, for some reason thinking his legs wouldn't be able to support him but he stood fine; legs not even wavering in the slightest. He hesitantly walked over to the small table in the room and frowned, picking up a small picture. A picture of himself. How he knew that, he didn’t know. He couldn’t even recall <span class="u">who</span> he was. No name. No history. Just vague inklings of things he <span class="u">should</span> remember. At the back of his mind. Like an itch he couldn’t scratch.</p><p>     Suddenly, his feet carried him towards the small mirror on the wall. It was like they knew what he should be doing, when even he didn’t. Like it was muscle memory. Something he must have done many times before, even if he had no memories of doing it. His brow scrunched and he bit his lip in confusion when he reached the mirror and saw “My Name Is" written in marker on the mirror. His arm lifted up and placed the picture on the mirror, under the words. He stared at his arm, like it wasn’t his own. What was going on? Why couldn’t he remember anything? And why was his body acting on its own like it was on some sort of autopilot?</p><p>     His head shot up and he looked over to the door when he heard loud murmured voices approaching his… room? Prison? He wasn’t really sure what to call it, but it certainly didn't <span class="u">feel</span> like <span class="u">home</span>. He felt his heart skip a beat when the door opened and six boys entered, and he had this feeling like he had always known them. He knew innately that they were…friends? No…they were family. He knew this, but he couldn’t remember meeting them. Couldn’t remember their names. Even so, he could say that the blonde would scold him if he did something wrong. He knew, even though the white-haired boy looked scary he was really a softie. He knew all of them…somehow...</p><p>     “Laun! You’re finally awake! We were starting to worry,” the blonde boy said.</p><p>     Laun frowned. Was <span class="u">that</span> his name? It felt right. He had been right…he <span class="u">did</span> know them. “W-where am I?” he muttered.</p><p>     The blonde frowned and moved forward cautiously. “You don’t remember? You must have bumped your head harder than the scientists thought,” he said.</p><p>     “We’re in the bunker?” a slender, black-haired boy said softly.</p><p>     “Bunker? Scientists?” Laun whispered.</p><p>     “Okay…what <span class="u">do</span> you remember?” the blonde asked.</p><p>     Laun flinched and clenched his eyes shut as his head panged with a splitting headache. When the pain passed and he opened his eyes again, he was at a train station. His eyes widened and he whipped around, but the other boys were nowhere to be seen. Actually, there were no other people around at all. He clenched his eyes shut and took in shuddering breaths, trying to calm his heart that was beating painfully fast in his chest.</p><p>     “Laun!”</p><p>     His eyes flew open, and there was Hyojin. Hyojin! He remembered his <span class="u">name</span>. He remembered all the other boys. He remembered the bunker where he had first met them all.  He moved forward slowly, reaching his hand out towards the older boy, but suddenly the red-haired boy seemed to pixelate and then disappeared. Laun's eyes widened and he gasped. He stumbled back and then he tripped, falling back and smacking his head on the pavement…vision going black.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>     “Laun!”</p><p>     Laun jolted up in bed and looked towards the door of his room in the bunker to see J-Us standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face.</p><p>     “What are you doing still sleeping? The scientists are coming today! We have to show some progress with our powers or we could be in trouble,” J-Us said.</p><p>     “Sorry!” Laun said, jumping from the bed and rushing to gather his clothes for the day.</p><p>     J-Us smiled at him and said, “It’s okay. I distracted Hyojin, so you’re not in trouble.” He winked before leaving Laun to get dressed. Laun frowned as he dressed. He had this weird feeling about today. It felt…almost foreboding. He couldn’t put his finger on why. He shook his head, ignoring those thoughts in favor of mentally preparing himself for the evaluation that was coming. The older boys were always tense when the scientists came, and it always scared Laun. He knew it scared U too.</p><p>     Laun exited his room and made his way out to the common area where the other boys were already waiting anxiously for the scientists to arrive. He sidled up next to U, who quickly gripped his hand gently, before dropping it as the scientists arrived  He gulped as they were each taken separately to the evaluation rooms.</p><p>     He was the first to finish his evaluation, passing with flying colors. He <span class="u">had</span> been the first to manifest and gain control of his powers after all. And, they got more powerful every day. He sat nervously on the couch in the common area, as he waited for the others to finish. He was most worried for Wyatt. The scientists had been getting steadily angrier with his lack of progress, and he had overheard Hyojin and J-Us whispering about the possible consequences that could come if the scientists continued to be unimpressed with the boy.</p><p>     He jumped slightly when one of the doors opened, and Hyojin exited his evaluation room. The older boy sighed before taking a seat next to Laun. He gripped Laun's knee reassuringly, before removing his hand in case one of the scientists came out. A few minutes later, E-tion exited his evaluation room and trudged tiredly over to the couch and sat on Laun's other side. They sat there silently…waiting for the others to finish. About thirty minutes or so passed, before MK exited his room, pale and shaky. Laun gulped as the older boy flopped on the floor at Hyojin's feet, silently seeking comfort from the older boy's closeness.</p><p>     Laun began to get nervous as the time ticked by. An hour passed…and then another. He could feel Hyojin stiffen beside him when they heard a commotion from J-Us' evaluation room. He held his breath, eyes wide, as all the small objects in the common area levitated a few inches in the air. He slapped a hand over his mouth to silence a gasp when all the objects came crashing back down at once. J-Us' door slid open and the older boy came stomping out with an angry look in his eyes. The black-haired boy stomped right past them to pound his fists against the door to Wyatt's evaluation room.</p><p>     “Oh no…” Hyojin whispered beside Laun, as he jumped to his feet to try to stop J-Us. E-tion and MK jumped to their feet to help Hyojin, and U exited his evaluation room all at the same time as Wyatt's door slid open and J-Us came face-to-face with an angry scientist.</p><p>     Laun felt his heart fall and his throat close up when J-Us punched the scientist in the face. He heard screaming and could tell there was something going on in Wyatt's evaluation room, beyond what he could see and hear, but Laun was distracted by this suffocating vice around his lungs, keeping him from taking in a deeper breath. The room was spinning and lights were flashing in his vision, then he could feel himself falling.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>     He jolted awake in bed. He looked around at the bright white room and wondered how he got there. Where even was here? He stood carefully, cautiously making his way towards the small table in the room. He frowns and picks up a small picture from the table, wondering who the smiling boy in the picture was. He had this weird feeling like he should recognize the boy. He shook his head, walking over towards one side of the room, unsure why he was going there, but he felt drawn like a magnet. He gets to that side of the room and looks into the small mirror that has “My Name Is" written in marker on it, and gasps. He drops the picture when he realizes the boy he should have recognized is himself. The lights in the room start flickering and the room seems to fade away and become what looks like an abandoned warehouse, before stabilizing and staying the white room.</p><p>     Laun…that’s his <span class="u">name</span>! He pants and drops to a crouched position, gripping his head in his hands. What was happening? Why couldn’t he remember anything? The floor seemed to warp underneath him, and he began to sink into it like quicksand. He struggled, crying out, just before he was pulled under and into darkness. He cried out again as he slammed into something hard and unforgiving. He got his hands under himself and pushed up to his hands and knees as he looked around. His eyes widened as he took in the abandoned train station in front of him.</p><p>     He stood warily. Stepping forward, and entering the train station which was eerily silent. He headed out towards the tracks, trying to see if he could find anyone. Anyone else here besides himself.</p><p>     “Laun!”</p><p>     He spun around when he heard a shout from behind him. His eyes widened and his heart rate picked up pace. “E-Tion?” he muttered. He saw E-Tion's mouth move like he was saying more, but Laun couldn’t hear him. There was a rushing in his ears and then the world seemed to snap, and he felt like he was being sucked through a straw. He groaned as he slammed into what felt like a mass of tree roots. His eyes fluttered open and he felt his heart sink. He knew this place. He knew this place with an unwavering certainty and realization that made him sick to his stomach.</p><p>     The memories of the past few hours… days… however long, came flooding back to him and he would have vomited if he could. The glitching, the memory loss…it all made sense now. Those fucking scientists had put them into the virtual reality and began the brainwashing process they had always threatened them with. A long time ago, the older boys had discovered a way to escape if the scientists ever went through with their threats. They had to kill their virtual selves, and they would wake back up in the real world. Laun gulped and stood unsteadily, thinking of a way he could do just that.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>               Hyojin panted as he leaned against the wall of a crumbling building, far away from the bunker that, until a few hours ago, they had called “home”. He looked around at the others to make sure they were all still with him, and relatively unharmed. He felt his lips quirk up in a small smile when he saw J-Us comforting Laun and U. The two youngest boys had been instrumental in their escape, considering Laun’s powers were the most developed, and U’s vision was getting more powerful every day, and he had been able to lead them out of the maze of tunnels the bunker was part of.</p><p>               He looked to his left to see E-Tion and MK tending to a barely coherent Wyatt. How the younger had been able to keep moving for so long, Hyojin would never understand, but he <span class="u">had</span> always been the toughest of the seven of them. They would need to find somewhere safe to stop for the night, or they <span class="u">would</span> lose Wyatt, and that wasn’t an outcome that Hyojin could accept. He had no idea where they could find somewhere safe enough though. They had never planned for this. Never in all their planning, had they thought to escape the bunker. They had learned from the scientists that being outside of the bunker, or outside the virtual reality they had created, meant certain death. So far, that seemed to be a lie they had told to keep them compliant. Yes, the world was pretty well destroyed, but there hadn’t been anything yet that seemed dangerous to them.</p><p>               Hyojin took a calming breath before standing and moving to Wyatt’s side. He cupped the younger’s face and turned his head to face him. When the younger’s eyes finally focused on him, he said, “Hey, can you make it a little further? We need to find a safe place to stay for the night.”</p><p>               Wyatt took a shuddering breath before he stood up straight, shaking off MK’s and E-Tion’s hands as they went to support him. “Let’s go,” Wyatt said, limping towards where they had entered the crumbling building.</p><p>               E-Tion and MK gave Hyojin worried glances as they followed after Wyatt. Hyojin jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. J-Us gave him a reassuring smile before leading the two youngest boys out of the ruins. Hyojin sighed and followed after them, watching as J-Us directed their group in the direction U indicated was safest. The computer-like vision his powers had manifested as was probably the only thing keeping them alive at this point. They ran for what felt like hours again, before U indicated that he had found a safe, and <span class="u">stable</span>, building for them to hide out in.</p><p>               Hyojin stared in awe at the train station U led them to. It was the most intact building they’d seen since leaving the bunker. He moved to lead them into the building when he was stopped by J-Us grabbing his wrist and shaking his head. The younger pushed him towards U and Laun and headed into the station first. After looking around for a few minutes, he indicated for the others to follow him in. It did make sense for J-Us to be so insistent on going first, considering he had the only offensive powers amongst the seven of them, but Hyojin couldn't help worrying for the other.</p><p>               They headed as deep into the train station as they could before J-Us signaled that they could <span class="u">finally</span> stop. Hyojin caught Wyatt as the younger’s legs finally gave out. MK rushed over to help him lower Wyatt to the ground gently. Hyojin took off his jacket and rolled it up and placed it under Wyatt’s head. “I’ve got him,” MK said, motioning for Hyojin to go join a serious-looking J-Us. Hyojin nodded and left the younger to tend to Wyatt.</p><p>               “What’s wrong,” he asked as he joined J-Us, a bit removed from the other boys so they wouldn’t be overheard.</p><p>               “We need water and food,” J-Us said simply.</p><p>               “No,” Hyojin said, knowing J-Us wanted to head out to look for both now, when it was already starting to get dark.</p><p>               “Do you not see how bad they all look,” J-Us asked, jerking his head in the direction of the other boys.</p><p>               Hyojin looked at each of their boys, seeing how bad each of them truly looked after their desperate escape. E-Tion had moved to comfort the two youngest boys while Hyojin and J-Us were busy. He looked like he was one step from collapsing and was only holding it together to show strength for the younger boys’ sakes. U was quiet. Even more quiet than he usually was and was unresponsive to E-Tion’s efforts to engage him and gauge how he was doing. He only seemed to respond to Laun’s worried whispers. Hyojin looked towards MK and Wyatt. Hyojin could see the tears that were falling down MK’s face as he kept silent vigil over Wyatt, holding the other’s hand tightly in his own. Wyatt was most concerning out of all of them. Their toughest was passed out and had only made it here out of sheer force of will, and his need to not slow down or endanger his family.</p><p>               Hyojin gulped and looked back at J-Us with a frown, knowing Wyatt especially would not last much longer without food or water. “Okay, but I’m going with you,” he said softly. J-Us shook his head and said, “No, you’re staying here to make sure they all stay safe. You can get them all out of here if anything happens.”</p><p>               “You can’t go alone,” Hyojin whispered.</p><p>               “There’s no other choice, and I’ll feel safer going, knowing you’re here, safe, and watching over all of them,” J-Us said softly.</p><p>               Hyojin clenched his fists at his side and said, “Fine! But you better come back!”</p><p>               J-Us cupped Hyojin’s face and said, “I will,” before turning and leaving.</p><p>               Hyojin bit his lip as he watched the younger walk away. He drew in a calming breath before turning to check on the rest of their family. He moved over to Wyatt’s side first, kneeling next to the sleeping man. “How’s he doing,” he asked MK.</p><p>               “Not good,” MK said quietly, biting his lip softly. “I have no idea what all they did to him. Only he and J-Us know for sure.”</p><p>               “Whatever it was, was bad enough they hoped telling J-Us about it would make him comply,” Hyojin muttered.</p><p>               “Well that obviously backfired,” MK said.</p><p>               Hyojin huffed and said, “Obviously.”</p><p>               They shared a tired smile, before Hyojin said, “And you? How are you doing?”</p><p>               MK sighed and said, “As well as I can be right now? What about you? How are you holding up?”</p><p>               “I’ll be fine as long as the rest of you are okay, so don’t worry about me,” Hyojin said.</p><p>               “Someone has to. You’re always too busy worrying about all of us, to worry about yourself,” MK said, giving him a knowing look.</p><p>               Hyojin playfully hit MK on the arm before standing and heading over to check on E-Tion and their youngest boys. “How are you guys doing,” he asked as he sat down in front of the three of them.</p><p>               E-Tion sighed and said, “Tired, but unharmed.”</p><p>               “Laun?” Hyojin said, looking at their youngest boy questioningly.</p><p>               “I’m okay,” Laun whispered with a tentative smile.</p><p>               “Of course, you are,” Hyojin said, giving the other a warm smile. He felt proud when he saw the answering grin, loving how strong their youngest was. “U?” he said softly as he looked at their second youngest in concern.</p><p>               U looked up at Hyojin with wide eyes and said, “I’ll be okay.”</p><p>               Hyojin sighed softly, happy that the younger boy was finally responding to them. “You boys try to get some sleep, okay? I’m going to keep watch.” He smiled reassuringly at them as they nodded their agreement. He happily accepted Laun into his arms as the boy latched onto him, resting his head against Hyojin’s chest. He’d let the boy stay there until he fell asleep, providing this small bit of comfort after their harrowing day.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>               Hyojin paced back and forth as he anxiously waited for J-Us to get back from another supply run. They had moved from the train station after only a few days and were now in an almost perfectly intact warehouse. J-Us’ supply runs had been getting longer and longer each time he went out and it had Hyojin getting more and more anxious. He feared each run would be J-Us’ last, and he feared losing the first boy he met after waking from the experiment.</p><p>               “I can go look for him,” U said from where he sat at Wyatt’s side, letting MK sleep for once.</p><p>               “Absolutely not,” Hyojin said sternly. He spun around when he heard footsteps approaching, ready to gather the boys together and teleport them all out of there if it was a stranger. He let out a relieved breath when he saw it was J-Us returning with more supplies than usual, including what looked like a couple of laptops. “Seriously? You were gone for so long because you were recovering technology we have no way of using here?” he said with a huff.</p><p>               J-Us quirked a brow at him and said, “<span class="u">We</span> may not be able to, but MK can.”</p><p>               Hyojin sighed and hugged J-Us. “I was worried,” he whispered.</p><p>               J-Us hugged him back and then pulled back and grinned at him, saying, “I told you not to!”</p><p>               Hyojin rolled his eyes and smiled softly at the younger man. He frowned as J-Us’ lips moved like he was saying something else, but Hyojin couldn’t hear what he was saying. A roaring started in his ears before J-Us flickered and disappeared. His eyes widened and he spun around to see he was no longer in the warehouse. He was back at the train station. Alone. He spun around, heart hammering against his sternum. “Laun!” he yelled when he saw the other boy. The younger spun around, eyes widening when he saw Hyojin. Hyojin reached out to the other boy but he disappeared before he could touch him. He cried out as he felt a splitting pain in his head, falling to his knees as he clutched his head. As suddenly as the pain began, it disappeared, and when Hyojin opened his eyes he gasped. He jumped to his feet and spun around, taking in the familiar walls of the bunker. How did he get back here? Was he losing the little control he had of his teleportation powers? Where were the other boys?</p><p>               He spun around when he heard footsteps “Laun!” he said when he saw the other boy again. The younger spun around and said something, but Hyojin couldn’t hear him. He stepped towards the younger and cried out as the boy disappeared. He clutched his head as the world spun around him and the piercing pain in his head came back.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>               He woke with a dull ache in the back of his skull and groaned as he raised his head slowly. He looked to his left and smiled softly as he saw the greenery flick past outside his window of the train. He looked around to make sure he was still alone in his compartment and sighed, pulling his bag up onto the seat beside him. He took out the documents with his mission and re-read his objectives, memorizing the four faces in the pictures. He would find the fugitives and bring them in for reprogramming. He scratched at the side of his neck absently, fingers moving unknowingly over a black barcode.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>               The first thing he became aware of was the sound of birds chirping and the lapping of water. ‘Chirp, chirp, chirp, whoosh.’ The pattern repeated like that again and again in an endless loop before his sense of touch came back to him. He felt the gentle push of water against his side, and his body jolted straight up to a seated position. His wide eyes took in the large lake he was sitting by, and the seemingly endless forests that surrounded it on all sides.</p><p>               E-Tion stood slowly, unsteady on the rocky bank of the river. He looked around again, slowly, wondering how he got here, and why he was alone. His brow scrunched up and he frowned when his heart lurched at the thought of being here alone. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was <span class="u">not</span> supposed to be alone, but he couldn’t remember <span class="u">who</span> should be with him. The feeling was like a phantom limb; he felt like it should be there even though he knew it wasn’t, but almost like if he thought hard enough, he could still move it, or in this sense like he could just remember if he really put his mind to it. He took a step away from the lake and towards the forest behind him and tripped over a rock, falling hard to his hands and knees. He winced and slowly stood back up on unsteady, shaking legs.</p><p>               He gasped when he looked up and found himself outside of a train station. A train station that he remembered all too well from when they first escaped the bunker. His hands shook as he turned slowly, remembering the first time he had come to this station with the other six members of his family. That had been a desperate time for them all, and they had wondered every day if they would survive, or if they would be captured again by the scientists. And if they would be captured again, what would happen to them? They had become even closer knit in those first few desperate days of their escape. Even more like a family, so how could he have forgotten them down by the lake? And how had he gotten there or here? His powers didn’t work like Hyojin’s teleportation powers. He could jump through time, not between places.</p><p>               “Laun!”</p><p>               E-Tion spun around when he heard the familiar voice shout behind him. His eyes widened when he saw Hyojin and Laun. He watched as Hyojin reached out towards Laun and E-Tion’s eyes widened as Laun disappeared. “Hyojin!” he called out to the other man, but it was like the other man blinked out of existence. He choked on a sob as the man disappeared, and he stumbled as the world tilted around him, and his vision tunneled.</p><p>               A terrible wave of vertigo overtook him, and he fell sideways. He felt the rush of air as he fell and threw his arms out to catch his fall. His hands and knees stung as they smacked into a hard surface. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. Once it was clear enough, he looked around to see he was surrounded by concrete walls. He gulped when he recognized those graffitied concrete walls from when they escaped the bunker. He cautiously moved through the tunnels. He both hoped that he <span class="u">would</span> find one of the other six, and that he wouldn’t. Being this close to the bunker was scaring the shit out of him.</p><p>               He continued walking through the tunnels, heading in the direction of the bunker entrance. His skin was itchy, and he jumped at any sound he heard other than his own footsteps. He wasn’t sure what was happening. If his powers were changing, or what, but he knew he needed to find his family. He needed to make sure they were okay. He couldn’t even think about them <span class="u">not</span> being okay.</p><p>               E-Tion took a right turn, getting even closer to the entrance of the bunker. Worried any moment he would encounter one of the scientists. As he turned the last corner, and had the entrance to the bunker in sight, the walls around him began to flicker. He cried out as he felt a piercing pain in his head. He fell to his knees, gripping his head tightly in his hands. He felt the world tilt around him and felt himself beginning to fall before everything went black.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>               E-Tion woke with a start, looking around quickly and sighing when he saw all six of the other boys around him sleeping. Except for J-Us, who was on watch at the moment. E-Tion stood slowly and quietly made his way over to J-Us, sitting down next to the younger boy with a soft sigh.</p><p>               “Can’t sleep?” J-Us said softly.</p><p>               “No. Coming here was only a temporary solution. They’ll figure it out and find us,” E-Tion said softly.</p><p>               J-Us sighed and said, “True, but jumping to a time before the meteors may give us extra time. Wyatt’s still recovering.”</p><p>               “I hope you’re right,” E-Tion whispered.</p><p>               J-Us scoffed and muttered, “Me too.”</p><p>               E-Tion sighed and rubbed his face gently. “We need a permanent solution. We can’t just keep jumping through time and to different places,” he said.</p><p>               “We’ll figure it out once Wyatt’s fully recovered,” J-Us muttered, standing and stretching. “I’ve gotta wake MK for his watch.”</p><p>               E-Tion shook his head and said, “Let him sleep. I’ll take his watch.”</p><p>               J-Us frowned and said, “You sure? You’ve already had your turn tonight.”</p><p>               “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep any more tonight,” E-Tion muttered.</p><p>               “Alright. Wake me if you need anything, okay?” J-Us said, raising a brow questioningly.</p><p>               “Of course,” E-Tion whispered. He watched as J-Us made his rounds, checking on the other five boys, before laying down to sleep next to Hyojin.</p><p>               E-Tion turned back around with a sigh, staring up at the night sky. They hadn’t really had a chance yet to appreciate the freedom they now had being outside of the bunker because they were still running from the scientists. They had always dreamed of one day being free of the scientists and their experiments. It had been their mission to learn how to repopulate on another planet. It was the reason for the scientists’ experiments and their training, so they would have eventually gotten free of the scientists. It was why they had always tried so hard to impress the scientists with their knowledge and their progress with their powers, so they could be free of them as soon as possible. But now, they couldn’t even appreciate the freedom they had always dreamed for. He looked over when someone sat down beside him, and E-Tion smiled at Hyojin.</p><p>               “What are you doing on watch again,” Hyojin asked.</p><p>               “Couldn’t sleep,” E-Tion muttered.</p><p>               “Understandable,” Hyojin muttered.</p><p>               “What are you doing awake?” E-Tion whispered.</p><p>               “J-Us laying down woke me. I waited until he was asleep to get up,” Hyojin said softly.</p><p>               E-Tion smirked and said, “When are you going to tell him you love him?”</p><p>               Hyojin sputtered, eyes widening and he said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.</p><p>               “Sure,” E-Tion said, smiling at Hyojin’s blush.</p><p>               He frowned as Hyojin seemed to pixelate. He gasped as the other man blinked out of existence. He clutched his head as he felt a splitting pain in his skull. He pants and opens his eyes slowly when the pain stops. His eyes widen when he sees the train station they had stayed at for a time. He hesitantly started walking towards the entrance, looking around for anyone else. He slowly made his way out to the tracks. There was no one out there either and E-Tion sighed, turning in a circle, wondering what he was doing here. He turned back to look across the tracks and paused when he saw Laun standing on the other side.</p><p>               “Laun!” E-Tion called out, but frowned when the boy didn’t seem to hear him.</p><p>               There was a rushing in his ears before the world seemed to flicker and pixelate. He cried out as he felt a piercing pain in the back of his skull. He fell to his hands and knees and groaned as his vision dimmed and he fell to his side.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>               He jolted awake at the sound of a train whistle. He groaned and stretched, sighing as he stood, scratching the side of his neck absently, fingers moving unknowingly over a barcode on his neck, the skin there was itchy and raw. He watched as the train came to a screeching stop at the platform, and he brought his wrist up and tapped the face of his watch. A digital display popped up showing his designation as a detective for anyone to see. What they wouldn’t know is that he was a time detective, protecting the timeline from unauthorized travelers. He had a mission in this particular year. He brought up the files and memorized the faces of the four men he was tasked with capturing. These men were wanted by the highest authorities, and E-Tion could <span class="u">not</span> fail in this mission.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter 3</span>
</p><p>        U followed the other boys into the group evaluation room. Now that each of them had begun showing some kind of powers, the scientists wanted to see if putting the boys together would make their powers manifest stronger and faster. J-Us had been the last to develop his powers, but they were the most impressive out of all of theirs.</p><p>        This was also the room where the scientists would test the information they were supposed to be learning and memorizing for their ultimate mission to set up a colony on Mars and make it possible to repopulate there, where the mist didn’t exist. So they could stop being so dependent on the Heart Stones that were now used exclusively to reproduce. Those evaluations were so much easier than the ones like today’s. They could control how much information they memorized by studying together, but they couldn't control the development of their powers, no matter what the scientists said to the contrary. They had each tried like hell to force their powers to manifest, but that never worked.</p><p>        He trudged into the room and over to his table at the front of the room. He sat with a sigh and waited quietly for the scientists to arrive. Like him, Laun always chose to wait for the scientists quietly. They were both too afraid they would walk in on them being rowdy like the older boys. Afraid of what the consequences would be. The older boys seemed so carefree in comparison, but Hyojin seemed to have an innate sense for when the scientists were close and would calm the other boys down, much as he was right at that moment.</p><p>        U gulped and prepared for the scientists to enter. The door hissed as it began to slide open, and U frowned as the lights in the room began to flash. He looked behind himself to check to see if the other boys noticed, and frowned when he saw the other five just staring blankly ahead. Five? Weren’t there six other… U winced as a sharp pain pulsed in the back of his head. The pain lasted only a couple of seconds and he turned forward, staring blankly at the empty doorway. The other five boys were doing the same behind him.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>        MK jolted upright from a dead sleep. His head whipped around as he took in the silent, empty warehouse around him. His breath left him in pants as he stood up on shaking legs. He took calming breaths as he cautiously moved to the computers in the center of the room. He jumped when every single one came to life at the same time. The white noise of static filled the room along with the eerie white light from the computer screens.</p><p>        He stared at the static on the screens, entranced by the sight and sound of it. He stood there, watching the static play on the screen as the sound grew steadily louder, until it was like a roar in his ears and he blacked out.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>        He stared straight ahead at the giant dragon statue in the middle of the lake, walking slowly towards it. Something was drawing him there. It almost felt like a physical tug on his chest, pulling him forward. In the direction of the dragon head. He didn’t question it. Why would he? He couldn’t think of a reason to. All he could think of was getting into that stone dragon before…before…Before what? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was he needed to get there.</p><p>        He picked up his pace, feeling more and more anxious, the more time that passed.  when he finally stood inside the gaping maw of the dragon, his eyes raised instinctively towards the sky. He only had to wait a few moments before meteors began falling from the sky. He stared, entranced, as hundreds of burning rocks made their rapid descent towards the ground.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>        Wyatt groaned as he came awake from what felt like a very deep, but not truly restful sleep. His whole body was sore, from his toes to the top of his head. He carefully pushed himself up into a seated position. He frowned as he took in the warehouse he was in. He could feel something calling out for him, and his eyes landed on a red motorcycle, and he instantly knew that’s what was calling out to him. It felt alive, and almost like it was an extension of himself.</p><p>        He stood slowly and walked over to the motorcycle, placing his hand on the handlebars. He gasped as he felt a vibrating hum from the motorcycle. With just a thought, the motorcycle’s engine roared to life. He laughed in delight, but his joy was cut short by a pulling feeling in his gut. It felt like a hook in his navel, not hurting, but tugging insistently. He frowned as the tugging got stronger and stronger, until finally he felt like he was being sucked through a tiny tube. When the tugging finally let up, Wyatt looked around him, eyes widening as he saw an empty train station across the street from him. Looking around quickly, the whole area was eerily empty and quiet.</p><p>        His head whipped back around to look at the train station when he heard echoing footsteps. “Hyojin?!” he said as he saw the older man standing in front of the train station. He frowned when the other man didn’t even react to him calling out to him.</p><p>        “Laun!” Hyojin yelled.</p><p>        Wyatt's eyes narrowed as the older called out for their youngest friend and reached out in front of himself, but there was nothing there that Wyatt could see.</p><p>        He gasped as the tugging suddenly returned and Hyojin and the train station seemed to be yanked away from him. Or, he was yanked away from <span class="u">it</span>. Either way when the tugging stopped, Wyatt found himself in the evaluation room in the bunker. “U?” he said softly when he saw the younger man sitting at the first table just like he always used to. The man didn’t even twitch in acknowledgement of his presence, he just continued to stare straight ahead at the doorway.</p><p>        The tugging returned instantly and yanked him backwards. He stumbled as he was dropped in the hallway of the bunker, placing a hand on the wall to steady himself.</p><p>        “Laun!”</p><p>        Wyatt’s eyes widened as he saw Hyojin in the hallway in front of him. The older man looked like he was looking through him, and Wyatt turned to look behind himself, but there was no one else besides the two of them in the hallway. He looked back around at Hyojin and gasped when the older man’s hand reached out and passed right through Wyatt’s chest.</p><p>        He gulped as the tugging returned, heart pounding in his chest and a rushing in his ears as he was yanked out of the hallway. He fell to his knees, wincing as the sharp rocks of the lakeshore dug into his knees. He looked up to see the meteors falling from the sky, and spotted the unmistakable figure of MK standing in the mouth of the giant stone dragon in the middle of the lake. Wyatt panted, gritting his teeth as he felt the tugging again. This time when the tugging stopped, he found himself in the noisy center of a large city. He stood slowly to his feet and looked around cautiously. He wondered which of his family members he would find here.</p><p>        He continued to follow the softer, yet still just as insistent, tugging, looking all around him as he went. All around him were people and cars bustling past, and bright lights flashing on the tall buildings lining every street Wyatt could see. He frowned as one of the buildings seemed to flicker then pixelate, before finally righting itself. Wyatt gulp, finally realizing exactly where he was . He was in the virtual reality, but how was he able to move between the others’ virtual worlds? Was it a new power manifesting?</p><p>        Wyatt almost tripped over his own feet when his eyes landed on E-tion. The older man hadn’t noticed him yet, but was looking at a digital projection from his watch. A digital projection that showed Wyatt’s face and a few of the others as fugitives and as E-Tion’s targets. Wyatt slowly began to back up, before turning and running in the opposite direction. As he ran, he tried to will his new powers to take him to one of the other boys’ realities.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Chapter Four</span>
</p><p>        Subject J-0514, the sight of that printed on the placard outside his door, was burned into the young boy’s memory. He didn’t have many of those. Memories that is. The first thing he could remember was waking up in an all-white room, surrounded by several men in white coats. They had poked and prodded him, and asked him questions he hadn’t known the answers to. He could remember his body trembling. Not just from fear, but from the cold as well. His naked body completely exposed to the freezing air.</p><p>        Finally, after the men in coats had hovered around him, testing several things he wished he <span class="u">couldn’t</span> remember, one of those men had told the boy to follow him. He had followed the man, walking briskly through the all-white halls, still naked. The man had led him to this room, shoved a bundle of white cloth at him, explained he was Subject J-0514, and this was his room. A room he had been shoved and locked into.</p><p>        The white bundle of cloth had thankfully been clothes, so he was no longer completely exposed. Though, judging by the amount of cameras in his room, he’d say eyes were still all over him. He had explored the room. It was also all-white, but there was a bed, a table and chairs, and a dresser with a mirror over it. Otherwise, the room was quite bland, though he had found a bathroom with thankfully no cameras to be found.</p><p>        It had been several days since he was first locked into this room. The men in coats hadn’t returned, but food would appear in his room while he was sleeping or in the bathroom. Along with stacks of books and other materials for him to read. Which he did because there was nothing else for him to do to pass his time.</p><p>        All the material he was given to read was on math, science, and space. He was almost finished with one of the thickest books when his door chimed before whooshing open. He looked up to see the same man who had brought him here.</p><p>        “Come,” the man said simply.</p><p>        He stood, marking his place in his book and leaving it on his bed, before following the man out of his room and down one of the hallways. They stopped in a large room with couches and a table. They stood there for countless minutes, and he tried not to fidget as they waited.  For what, he didn’t know. Then, another door slid open and another man in a white coat led a boy into the room. The other boy’s wide eyes met his and widened more.</p><p>        “J-0514, this is H-4015,” the man next to him said.</p><p>        H-4015 blinked at him and he tried to smile at the other boy, but he was just as confused and scared.</p><p>        “You two are the first successful subjects in our mission, and you will live here and learn and train,” the man next to the other boy said.</p><p>        “The packet on the table is everything you need to know about your mission. Read it, and study everything we give you,” the man next to him said. Then, both men just left the two boys standing there in the room together alone.</p><p>        He moved forward slowly, towards the other boy. He smiled softly and said, “Hi!”</p><p>        The other boy smiled and said, “Hello.”</p><p>        He softly grabbed the other boy’s hand and led him over to the white couch so they could read the packet together. As much as he was sad that another boy was in the same situation as him, some sort of subject in a science experiment, he was also happy to not be alone in this.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>        It had been a few months since the scientists had introduced the second boy, and they hadn’t seen the men since then. They continued getting food and materials to study, and they did it. The packet they read had told them they were the only hope for the continuation of the human race, and that seemed like an important mission to the two boys.</p><p>        They were sitting in the common area together reading books together. They had thought of names to use, other than their subject numbers, within the first week of knowing each other. It had made them feel… more real? more human? And it had also brought them closer to each other. They had each used the letter at the beginning of their subject number, and come up with a name from that. He had chosen J-Us, and the other boy had chosen Hyojin.</p><p>        Both boys’ heads shot up when the door to the room slid open and the scientists entered for the first time in so long. They both stood as quickly as they could, and J-Us had to hold back a gasp when another boy followed them in. The scientist said nothing, just left the three boys there alone. J-Us assumed it was now his and Hyojin's job to tell this boy their mission.</p><p>        “Hello,” J-Us said softly to the other boy.</p><p>        The other boy smiled at him and said, “Hi! I’m E-7102.”</p><p>        “Hi,” Hyojin said, grabbing the other boy’s hand and leading him to the couch where the three of them sat together. “We'll help you think of another name,” he said.</p><p>        “I’m J-Us, and he’s Hyojin,” J-Us said brightly.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p><p>        The three boys were together, studying and learning together for over a year without any more visits from the scientists. Until today.  The scientists had brought two boys this time. Two boys who seemed to cling to each other subconsciously. Hyojin, J-Us and E-Tion greeted the two boys, taught them about their missions and made them comfortable. They had also helped them with new names. M-1619 had decided to simply be called MK, and W-4077 had chosen Wyatt. Now that the boys were comfortable, Wyatt had stayed pretty quiet, but MK had become this bright ball of sunshine whose energy went well with E-tion’s.</p><p>        The five of them had formed a sort of makeshift family together, and J-Us and Hyojin had been proclaimed as the parents by the other three boys. Then, today, after two years of just the five of them, the scientists had brought two more boys, and told them they were the last boys that would join them, and they would start their real training the next month.</p><p>        The five boys quickly made the two younger boys feel comfortable, and had made them feel like part of the family. J-Us and Hyojin were particularly protective of the two youngest boys. They had helped the boys create their names, essentially creating their identity. U-9108 just simply went by U like MK simply went by MK, and L-0017 chose the name Laun.</p><p>        The seven of them studied together and tried to prepare themselves for what the training with the scientists could be. J-Us smiled as he watched the other six boys studying together, but he frowned when he got this indescribable feeling like this moment was wrong. He couldn’t explain why he felt that way, but he just knew deep down, there was something wrong with this scene. He gasped as he felt an overwhelming wave of vertigo, and he squinted his eyes as he tried to figure out what exactly was happening around him. He grunted as he fell to his knees and clenched his eyes shut against a sickening feeling.</p><p>        He sucked in calming breaths before opening his eyes to see that everything around him was black. There was no light to be seen. There was nothing to be seen around him. He breathed heavily, heart pounding and blood rushing in his ears. He gasped when he felt six… emotional?... connections. Three he could tell were… glitching? And that’s when he realized he and the others must be in the virtual reality. He could feel everything the others were feeling, but he couldn’t do anything about it. How was he able to feel them though? That had never been his power. He fell backwards as he felt one of the connections snap and then disappear. Had one of the three glitching boys figured it out, and gotten himself out of the virtual world?</p><p>        He pushed himself up to his feet shakily, but stumbled when another of the connections seemed to pull exponentially tightly before snapping back to normal as Wyatt flickered into the space before him.</p><p>        “Wyatt?!” J-Us said softly.</p><p>        “You can see me?” Wyatt said, eyes widening slightly.</p><p>        “Yes,” J-Us whispered.</p><p>        “Oh, good! I was worried no one would,” Wyatt said.</p><p>        “You’ve seen the others?” J-Us said softly, hopefully.</p><p>        “Yes, but none of them could see me. I don’t know how, but I can move between our virtual worlds,” Wyatt said.</p><p>        “That can help us. I can feel the others, and you. I don’t know if it goes beyond that though,” J-Us muttered.</p><p>        “There’s only one way to find out. Let’s go save our family,” Wyatt said with a soft smile.</p><p>~*~*~*~*~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think. And yes, I'm still planning on finishing all my current stories.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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